"The 2020 Figeac is a blend of 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.9% and a pH of 3.7. Opaque purple-black colored, it bursts from the glass with a beautifully vibrant initial wave of pure, pristine black fruits: fresh black cherries, juicy black plums and ripe blackcurrants. With swirling, a whole array of floral and spice notes is unleashed: lavender, ground cloves, cumin seed, cardamom and rose oil. The medium-bodied palate is surprisingly graceful for the intensity of aromas, featuring ethereal, perfumed black berry notes, framed by a seamless line of freshness and ripe, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. Far more cerebral and quietly introspective than it is hedonic, this could only be Figeac.
So, I caught up with Frédéric Faye on a Zoom call from his Paris hotel room, where he was participating in very detailed (and, no doubt, extremely heated) discussions surrounding the forthcoming Saint-Émilion reclassification. As a reminder, Figeac has been ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé B since the very first classification, in 1955. But given recent changes—30% of the vineyard replanted since 2009 and a whole new winery—and its clear upward trajectory in quality in recent years, all eyes are now pointed toward the realm of Premier Grand Cru Classé A for this estate. I got stressed just imagining how stressed Faye must have been. If he was about to spontaneously combust, it certainly didn’t show. “Everyone thinks that if you have a drought, it must be bad for Figeac,” Faye began. “But we have a lot of clay in our soils and we have a lot of older vines. Still, this vintage was not really easy. The weather conditions were extreme. The Cabernet Franc started to suffer—but then the little bit of rain in August finally pushed the Cabernet Franc through veraison. It was one of our longest harvests ever. We harvested over five weeks! We started on 4th September with just one plot of Merlot—to maintain that freshness. Then we waited. I knew what I wanted. We are a large estate and we have a lot of plots, so I need to begin to do the blending in the vineyard. In the end, it was a vintage of terroir and of decisions—human decisions.” As a reminder, Figeac is a little unique in its blend, being composed of nearly equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This year, the blend has a plush, juiciness from the Merlot, a brightness from the Cabernet Franc and a taut, structural element from the Cabernet Sauvignon, all knitted together beautifully and truly singing, “FIGEAC!,” loud and clear. Deliciousness aside, it’s a wine I highly recommend for this evocative attribute alone."
Lisa Perrotti Brown 96-98 Punkte
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